Improvement in the manufacture of spirits



NH. PURDY.

lmprdvement in the Manufacture of Spirits.

Patented Aug. 20, 1872.

wz d/MML UNITED FFIGE.

HIE-AM PURDY, or BURLINGTON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRITS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 130343, dated August 2 0, 1872.

-tus. Fig. 2 is a view of one side of the condenser.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

In ordinary distillation a considerable amount of watery vapor passes off with the alcohol, which renders necessary a subsequent reheating to drive off the alcohol. My object is to avoid the necessity of this reheating by conducting the products of distillation directly into a tubular condenser, into which air is forced in a uniform current, which, mingling with the vapor, causes the watery particles thereofto condense and become separated from the alcoholic particles, which pass off to be condensed in the proper worm.

The following description of my invention will enable others skilled in the art to understand it.

In the accompanying drawing, A is a still, communicating by pipe to with a condenser or refrigerator, B. From the top of this condenser a pipe, D, leads to a filter, O, which communicates by a pipe, 9, with a worm in which the alcoholic vapor is condensed. A.

blower or air-pump forces a blast of cold air through the pipe 0 into the condenser E, at

- the same time air circulates freely through the inclined tubes (2 e, the inclination of which induces currents through them from their lower pressure to force the alcohol through the filter 0.

Instead of introducing the air-blast, as shown in the drawing, it may be introduced into the ordinary doubler which is used by distillers,

or in various other parts of the apparatus;

and it may be forced in by a blast or drawn in by the motion of the vapor in its passage from the still to the condenser, or in various other ways, all having the object and effect of commingling atmospheric air with the vapor of alcohol and water inits passage to the condenser. If forced in by a blast through a tube the axis of which makes an acute angle with that of the tube through which the vapor 7 passes, the atmospheric pressure upon the liquid in the still may be so far reduced as to make an appreciable difference in the facility with which evaporation takes place therein, which will sensibly diminish the cost of such evaporation.

I am aware that the patent of J. Dennis of August 10, 1869, shows a contrivance for mingling a blast of cold air with the vapor from the still for substantially the same purpose as is contemplated by me; I therefore make no broad claim for effecting such an intermin gling. I am also aware that filters have long since been wellknown contrivances to aid-in the distillation of alcohol. I use the ordinary still and the ordinary filter without laying any claim to either by itself; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the followmg:

1. In a distilling apparatus having a refrigerator, B, into which the vapor from the still A passes through a pipe, a, to meet and mingle with a blast of cold air through another pipe, 0, I claim a series of inclined pipes e e, to aid in the cooling and condensation of the vapor, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In such an apparatus I also claim the filter G, in combination with the refrigerator B and pipes at and c, by means of which combination the alcoholic vapor introduced through the pipe a may be aided in passing through the said filter by the blast of air through the pipe 0.

WVitnesses: HIRAM PURDY.

Gno. O. LAWRENCE, WM. J. POLLOOK. 

